Control means



'-Dec. 5, 1939. A; K. FoULDs Re- 21,286

CONTROL MEANS l original Filed May 9, 1952 asaaaoaaasaasl w n nu Reissued Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES Re. A21,2%

PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MEANS Original No. 2,067,836, dated January 12, 1937, Serial No. 610,064, May 9, 1932. Application for reissue January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,979

29 claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in control means, and more particularly to means for controlling the flow of liquid.

An object of my invention is to provide means to maintain a substantially constant desired level of supplied liquid at a point of delivery.

Another object is to provide means to stop the delivery of liquid upon increase in the liquid level above the desired constant level.

Another object is to provide an actuating means movable in response to variation of liquid level and operable on movement to actuate directly a normal controlling means and also operable on movement to actuate a normally ineffective safety means for actuating said controlling means.

The' invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, to be morel fully described hereinafter, and the novelty oi' which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section on the line l-I of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, I designates, generally, a hollow casing or container enclosing or having a chamber or reservoir 2 having a bottom wall l from which rise side walls 4, 5 and end walls 0, 1. The casing may be provided with a closure member or cover 1' dening the top wall of the chamber and which fits loosely or has an air bleed opening so that liquid can flow freely into and from the chamber through passageways hereinafter described. The chamber has a plurality of liquid flow ports including an inlet l and an outlet 9 which preferably open through the bottom ywall 3 adjacent the end wall 1` The inlet and the outlet may be connected respectively to a source of liquid supply and to a point of delivery by conduits connected to the inlet and outlet nipples I0, I I respectively, which depend from the underface of the bottom wall l. v4The inlet l opens into the bore I2 of a sleeve or tubular memberl Il which rises vertically from the bottom wall I. The member I3 may be screw-threaded or otherwise rigidly secured and sealedv in the inlet 0' and 'has adjacent the plane of the bottom wall an internal annular flange or shoulder I4 11t-l ning an upward facing valve seat and a valve port. Above the flange Il the member I3 is provided with one or more ports I5 through the side wall thereof opening from the bore I2 into chamber 2. Withinv the bore I2 is a means controlling 5 the inlet, such as a valve member I0, which is vertically .reciprocable and guided in its reciprocation by the walls of `member Il. The member I8 preferably has a conical valvehead I1 which cooperates with and seats upon the flange 1o Il to close the inlet. The reciprocable valve operating member or stem I1* of the valve member extends above the sleeve member, Il and is provided at its projecting end with vertically spaced collars of circumferential flanges I8 for a purl5 pose to be described.

Projecting upward from the sides of and rigid with the sleeve member Il, are a' pair of spaced supporting arms I9 which extendtoward the end wall 6 and which are joined at their upper free go ends by a substantially horizontal bearing or pivot pin 20. A lever or operating member 2| extends between the arms I9 and is journaled or fulcrumed on the pin 20, one end of the member terminating in a yoke having its arms 22 posig5 tioned on opposite sides of the valve stem and between the collars I 8. 'I'he other end of the lever is formed by laterally spaced, substantially parallel arms 2l which are joined adjacent their free ends by a bearing or pivot pin 2l. Bup- 30 ported on the pin 2l is a lever arm 20 which lies in the plane of arms 2l and extends outward therefrom toward wall 0. The outer end of arm 2i supports a float member or actuating means 28 which is rigidly secured thereto and depends g5 y therefrom. A stop 21 rigid on the lever 2| overlies the arm 20 on the Yopposite side of its fulcrum 2l from the float and holds the lever and arm rigid against relative movement under the force of gravity acting on the oat. The inner 0 tioned a compression spring $2 having end fol- 50 i lower plates 3l seating against the abutments. The spring I2 is preferably of the helical coil type and engages the abutment 2! above the line of centers of pins 20 and 24, so that a component 0i the force of the spring resists clockwise movel ment of the iioat about pin 24 and urges arm 25 against stop 21 so that in normal operation any movement of arm 25 will result in like movement of lever 2|.` l

A normally ineffective or inactive safety means is provided, including a lever or operating member 34 which overlis the valve stem and is pivotally supported at one end on a pin 35 extending between horizontally spaced ears 3B carried by and rigid with the side wall 5. At a point opposite the ears 36 there is an adjustable abutment 31 supported by the side wall 4. The abutment 31 is preferably a screw or the like screw-threaded through thewall 4 and provided with a lock nut 38. Positioned between the free end of the lever 34 and the abutment 31 is a spring 39 preferably of the helical coil type held under compression therebetween and having spring follower members 40 seating against the conical ends of the lever 34 and the abutment screw. The

point of engagement between the spring and the' lever 34 is slightly 'above or overcenter, so that the spring normally acts to urge the lever .upward to hold the lever normally ineffective or in inactive position. Upward movement of -the lever is limited by a trip lever or bar 4| which extends transversely over the lever 34 and engages a superposed stop pin or rod 42 rigidly supported by the side wall 5. The trip lever 4| extends v substantially horizontally toward the float or end wall 6 and is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on a shaft 43, which may be fixed at its ends in the side walls 4, 5. The free end 44 of the trip lever is preferably inclined upward toward the end wall G to provide a contact surface.

Rigidly secured onthe oat is an operating arm 45 which is inclined upwardly substantially at right angles to the lever end 44 and which terl minates substantially in contact therewith when the float is in its normal raised position which will seat the valve.

The operation of my control means is as follows: As liquid enters the inlet 9 and rises in chamber 2, the float 26 will rise with the liquid and move the valve member I6 toward inlet closing position. The spring 32 will Yhold the lever operating member comprising arm 25 and lever 2| rigid relative to each other for all normal changes of level in the chamber 2. When the level of liquid in chamber 2 a'nd therefore at the point of delivery connected to outlet 9 reaches the predetermined desired constant level, the

float will be in its normal maximum raised position, and due to the resistance of spring 32 will act through lever arms 25 and 2| to urge the valve memberto its seat to cut oli' flow into the chamber 2. If for any reason the valve should fail to close the inlet when the liquid level-in chamber 2 reached its desired normal maximum level, then the safety means will be actuated by overtravel of the float to seat the valve and stop admission of liquid to the chamber. Under such a condition, the level of liquid would rise in chamber 2, immersing the float to an increasing depth, as the float could not rise with the liquid due to the resisting component of force of the spring 32. As the level of liquid around the float is increased, the buoyant force of the iloat will increase against the resistance of spring 32. When the increased buoyant force of the oat exceeds the resistance of spring 32, the float will overcome the spring 32 and move upward quickly, turning about its fulcrum 24. It may be noted that the resistance of spring 32 is preferably only sufiicient to hold the arm `and lever rigid in normal operation, so that a very small increase iny liquid level above normal will act through the iioat to overcome the spring 32. It may also be noted that the resistance of spring 32 may be adjusted by the abutment screw 29, both as to its inherent resistance and as to the height of its point of engagement with arm 25 above center. The quick upward movement of float 26 upon overcoming spring 32 will raise the position of the oat in the liquid thereby quickly lowering the level of the liquid in the reservoir. As the float 26 turns about pin 24, `the arm 45 will engage the end 44 of trip lever 4| and rotate it clockwise of Fig. l about shaft 43. Lever 4| is resting on the operating lever 34, and it will therefore move lever 34 downward against the resistance of spring 39, the point of engagement between spring 39 and lever 34 being only suiiciently above center to hold the lever 34 in inactive up position. As the lever 34 is moved down through center, the force of spring 39 will push the lever quickly downward to impact sharply against the top of the valve stem I1 and drive the valve member to/its seat, thus cutting ofi' the inlet 9. The limited downward `or clockwise movement of the lever 4| prevents the arm 25 from moving so far as to permit spring 32 to snap out of position between abutments 29 and 3|, although I preferably provide a stop y4|i similar to stop 42 and supported by the wall 5 to limit downward movement of lever 4| and thus insure that the movement of abutment 29 will not be such as to permit spring 32 to snap out of position.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a safety means operable by increased liquid level in the float chamber to cut oil flow to and through the chamber on failure of the control valve to function to out off the now.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the `United States is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, safety means normally inactive and operable to move said valve to close said inlet, and a oat member within said casing and responsive directly to liquid level in said casing to regulate opening and closing of said valve to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, said float member having provision for overtravel and acting upon increase of liquid level above said constant level to actuate said safety means.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an` outlet, a single valve means controlling said inlet, a float member operable to open and close said valve means to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, and means in said casing operable by said oat member upon increase vof liquid level in said casing above said constant level to move said valve said inlet.

means to close 3. A device of the character described, com- Safety means whereby tor 4. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a single valve means controlling said inlet, a iloat in said casing cooperable with said valve means and normally actuating said valve means to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, spring means under stress and operable to exert its force to move said valve means to close said inlet, and means operable by said float upon failure of said valve means to close said inlet to release the force of said spring means.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet,

a float responsive to liquid level in said casing. a single valve means controlling said inlet and operable by said float, said valve means acting to close said inlet upon movement of said iioat in response to predetermined liquid level in said casing, and safety means operable to move said valve means to close said inlet, said safety means being actuated by said iloat upon increase in liquid level in said casing above said predetermined level. f f

6. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a single valve means controlling said inlet, overcenter means operable on ymovement overcenter to engage and move said valve means to close said inlet, and a. float responsive to liquid level in said casing and cooperable with said valve means to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, said float being operable upon increasev of liquid level in said casing above said constant level to move said last-named means overcenter.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having` an inlet and an outlet, valve means controlling said inlet, a lever operatively engaging said valve means, a float pivoted on said. lever and controlling said valve means, means resisting movement of said float relative to said lever, safety means cooperable with said float and operable to move said valve means to close said inlet, said float acting upon failure of said valve means to close said inlet' to overcome said resisting means and'actuate said safety means. i

8. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, valve means controlling said inlet, a lever operatively engaging said valve means, a lever armpivoted on said lever, a float carried by said arm, a stop oppomng movement of said arm relative to said lever by gravity acting on said iioat,y means resisting movement of said arm relative to said lever by the buoyant force of said iloat, and' safety means operable by said float to move said valve means to close said inlet, said float acting upon increased liquid level above the predetermined desired normal level to overcome said resisting means and actuate said safety means.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an o-utlet, a valvecontrolling said inlet, a oat in said casing cooperable with said valve and normally acting to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, means operable on said valve to move said valve to close said inlet, spring means under stress and acting on said last-named means, and means operable by said float upon` failure of said valve to close said inlet to release the force of `said spring means.

10. A device of the character described, comprising ahollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a float in said casing cooperable with said valve and normally acting to maintain a substantially` constant liquid level in said casing, a lever cooperable with said valve to move said Valve to close saidinlet, spring means under stress and acting on said lever, and means operable by said iioat upon failure of said valve to close said inlet to release the force of -said spring means.

1l. A device of the character described, comprising. a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a iioat in said casing cooperable with said valve and normally acting to maintain a substantially' constant liquid level in said casing, means operable on said valve to move said valve to close said inlet, spring means under stress and acting on said last-named means, and a lever operable by said float upon failure oi' said valve to close said inlet to release the force of said spring means.

12. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow `casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a float in said casing cooperable with said valve and normally acting to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, overcenter means operable on movement overcenter to move said valve to close saidinlet, and a lever cooperable with said float and operable to move said last-named' ing spring means held under stress, and a lever cooperable with said iloat and operable to move said last-named means overcenter whereby said spring means can act to close said valve, said float acting on increase of liquid level above said constant level to move said lever.

14. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a single valve member controlling said inlet, a float in said casing operatively connected to said valve member and normally actuating said valve member to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, said float having provision for overtravel upon increase of liquid level above said constant level, safety means controlling said inlet through actuating said valve, and means operable by said iloat upon overtravel thereof tor actuate said safety means.

15. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, valve means controlling said inlet, a lever `operatively engaging said valve means, an 'arm pivoted on said lever, means normally acting to hold said arm and lever against relative movement, a float carried by said arm and acting through said lever to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing,'and safety means operable to close said valve means upon relative movement between said arm and said lever, said float acting upon increased liquid level in said casing above the predetermined desired normal level to overcome said holding means whereby to move said arm relative to said lever.

16. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a'lfioat in kof liquid level therein, a leverhaving relatively movable arms pivoted together and pivotally supporting said responsive means, means acting to normally hold said arms against relative movement, said responsive means having provision for overtravel upon relative movement between 'said arms, means to limit the movement of one of said arms upon the occurrence of predetermined liquid level in said casing, said responsive-means acting upon increase of liquid level above said predetermined level to overcome said holding means, and

control means operable by said responsive means upon said responsive means overcoming said holding means.

18. In a liquid level control device, a hollow casing having an inlet port and an outlet port, a valve insaid casing for controlling said inlet port, a oat in said casing for actuating said valve in response to changes in liquid level to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in said casing, a lever connecting said valve and said float and fulcrumed within said casing, said lever having two arms pivoted together and movable relative to each other with the iioat connected to one of said arms and the valve to the other, resilient .means normally preventing 'relative movement between said lever arms, a stop member to limit movement of one of said arms relative to the other in one direction, said iioat acting upon a predetermined rise of liquid level in said casing above said constant level to overcome the force of said resilient means to move one of said arms relative v to fthe other whereby said iioat can move beyond its normal range of operation, safety cut-olf means operable by said iloat to close said inlet port upon predetermined movement of said float relative to said valve, and means for transmittingmovement of the float to said safety cut-od means, said transmitting means being dispo-sed outside of the normal range of movement of said said valve means to maintain a substantially constant liquid level therein and also operable in response to a predetermined increase in liquid level Yabove said constant level for moving said' last-named means overcenter.

20. In a device of the character described, a-

hollow casing deiining a constant level chamber .having an inlet and an outlet, a valve member controlling said inlet,a float member operatively connected to said valve member and acting to move said valve' member to close said inlet upon predetermined liquid levell in said chamber, yieldable means operatively connecting said oat member and said valve member, said oat memberk being immersed above its normal floating level upon failure of said valve member to close said inlet and being released by said yieldable means upon predetermined immersion above said normal iloating level, and means in said chamber actuated to close said inlet valve member upon such release of said float member.

21. In a liquid level control device, a hollow casing defining a constant level chamber having an inlet and an outlet, valve me'ans controlling said inlet, a single means responsive to liquid level in said chamber, said responsive means moving to one position upon occurrence of predetermined desired constant liquid level in said chamber, means cooperable with said valve means and engaged by said responsive means to move said valve means to closed position upon movement of said responsive means to said one position, said responsive means being movable to a second position upon increase of liquid level above said predetermined level, and means cooperable with said valve means and engageable by said responsive means upon movement of said responsive means to said second position to move said valve means to closed position.

22. A liquid level controlling device, comprising a casing having a liquid receiving chamber with an inlet thereto, valve means controlling said inlet, a iioat in said chamber, a plurality of levers connecting said float to said valve means and operable to transmit movement from said oat to said valve means to maintain a constant liquid level in said chamber, said levers being movable relative to each other upon predetermined increase of liquid level in said chamber above said constant level, and means operable upon such relative movement of said levers to actuate said valve means to close said inlet.

23. A liquid level controlling device, comprising a casing having a liquid receiving chamber with an inlet thereto, valve means serving both as the normal and also as a safety flow controlling means for said inlet, a float member in said chamber operable both as the normal constant ,level responsive means and also as an excess liquid level safety responsive means, a plurality of ,levers operatively connecting said iioat member to said valve means, one of said levers being secured to said iioat member, another of said levers transmitting float member movement from said one lever to said valve means to maintain a constant liquid level in said chamber, said vlevers being movable relative to each other upon movement of said float member in response to excess liquid level, and means operable upon said valve means to move said valve means to close said inlet when said float member responds to excess liquid level. f

24. In a liquid level controlling device, a reciprocable controlling member, a responsive member movable by change 'of liquid level and operable on movement, in one direction to move said controlling member, and normally ineffective safety means operable on movement to move said controlling member, said responsive member acting upon continued movement in said one direction to move said safety means.

25. In a liquid level controlling device, valve means operable to control liquid flow, an operating member, a normally ineiective safety means, a reciprocable member operable to actuate said valve means and operable by said operating mem- -ber and by said safety `means,` and a single member movable by variation of liquid level and operable to move said operating member and said safety means.

. annee 26. A liquid level controlling device comprising a container having an inletl and an outlet, valve means operable to control ow through said inlet into said container,'actuating means operable upon occurrence of a predetermined liquid level in said container to move said valve means to close said inlet, and normally ineiective lsailety means operable to move-said valve means to close said inlet and operable by said actuating 2'?. A liquid level controlling device comprising a container having an inlet and an outlet, valve means having a stem and operable to control ow through said inlet, a` plurality of operat- 15 ing members for actuating said stem, and .an actuating member cooperahle with one of said operating members upon occurrence of a predetermined liquid level in said container to move said stem, said actuating member being cooper- 20 able' with another of said operating members to move said stem upon occurrence in said container of a liquid level different from said predetermined level. 1

28. Ina liquidlevel maintaining device, a reservoir having an inlet for liquid,`liquid level responsive means controlling said inlet to maintain a substantially constant liquid vlevel in said reservoir, means operable by said responsive means and cooperable therewith to stop further admission of liquid to said reservoir upon predetermined increase of liquid level above said constant level, said responsive means acting upon its liquid level increase stopping operation to quickly lower the liquid level in lsaid reservoir.

29. In a control devce, a liquid receiving chamber, controlling means, lever means comprising a plurality of relatively movable arms, meansv exerting a force to hold said arms against relative' resistance to movement of another of said arms y -ate said controlling means. 

